The Foundation was formed in 2007 as a lasting legacy to the Busby Babes and the club’s commitment to developing youth. The UEFA Celebration match that took place between Manchester United and a Europe XI cemented the inception of the Foundation as the first fundraising event, which raised over £1.25m for the new charity.

 

In celebration of the 15-year milestone, MUTV will be streaming the historic match this evening (Sunday 13^th March), with a call to fans to raise money for the Foundation to continue its vital work in the local community and beyond. Supporters can tune into the livestream on Manchester United platforms from 20:00 GMT on Sunday 13th March. The match rewind will be available on MUTV, the Manchester United website and app, as well as all social platforms.

 

Over the years, Manchester United Foundation has worked with over 75,000 young people – enough to fill Old Trafford – and has received an income from fundraising, donations and grants of over £50m to help to change the lives of those who need it most.

 

Our community projects have grown from four to 97 between 2007 to 2022, and we even support external charities by providing over 21,000 signed items to help raise funds for their own good causes.

 

Testimony to the Foundation’s impact is the fact that so many participants have gone on to become volunteers, coaches and full-time members of staff, becoming role models for young people in the positions they once were.

 

Hannah Mitchell, female development officer at the Foundation, was a participant from the age of ten, and attended the launch event alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wes Brown and many other United greats.

 

Hannah said: “It kind of saved my life. I wasn’t the best in school; I really struggled. Being involved with the Foundation put me on the straight and narrow. They intervened and worked with me, so that I actually got through school and did well. They used football as the tool: if I didn’t do well in school I couldn’t play. It definitely changed my life, because of the path I was going down. It became that family that I needed.”

 

John Shiels MBE, chief executive of the Foundation, said: “Fifteen years has gone quick. I’m very proud of what we’ve been a part of. It’s organic, it’s evolving. We’re an optimistic organisation, even with the dark clouds that are over us.

 

“The main thing to say is that we’re grateful. Grateful that more and more fans are getting involved and they can see the power of what we’re doing. Grateful that our partners trust us. Grateful that we can get up every day and know that we can change someone’s life for the better.”

 

To find out more about the Foundation and its anniversary make sure you are following our social channels and check out the video above for some amazing highlights. You can even donate to support our work at https://www.justgiving.com/mufoundation

 

And don’t forget to tune into the match across all United platforms on Sunday at 20:00 GMT.